50% Tariff Hike: NLC set to begin strike

More than a month after the Nigerian government, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), and Organized Labour agreed to reduce the telecom tariff hike from 50% to 35%, there has been no update on the promised 15% reduction.

The government and NCC have remained silent on the matter.

Meanwhile, telecom companies have gone ahead with the full 50% tariff increase, showing no signs of adjusting their rates.

Initially, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) opposed the tariff hike, calling it exploitative, especially given the country’s economic difficulties. Under pressure from the NLC, which had threatened to shut down telecom operations, the government and NCC agreed to lower the increase from 50% to 35%.

To resolve the issue, a 10-member committee was formed, including five representatives from the government and five from the NLC. The committee was assigned to review the tariff hike and submit a report within two weeks before a final decision was made.

On February 21, 2025, the committee met at the National Security Adviser’s office. After three hours of discussions, they agreed on a 15% tariff reduction. Sources said an official announcement was expected the next day, February 22.

However, no announcement has been made, leading to growing frustration among NLC leaders. They now believe the government misled them and are preparing to take action against the NCC and telecom companies.

An NLC leader told Vanguard: “We have received directives to commence mobilisation since last week. The date for the industrial action against the NCC and telecom operators is fixed, but we are not revealing it yet. We thought we had resolved this matter over a month ago, but it seems as though we’ve been scammed. We have decided to confront this issue head-on.”

On February 12, 2025, the NLC expressed anger over the tariff hike, saying it violated their agreement with the government and NCC. They demanded an immediate reversal and warned that if telecom companies did not return to the old tariff by the end of February, a nationwide shutdown of their operations would begin on March 1, 2025.

As part of their protest, the NLC instructed workers and citizens to boycott MTN, Airtel, and Glo services daily from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. throughout February. In a communiqué issued after a Central Working Committee meeting in Lokoja, Kogi State, on February 11, the NLC urged Nigerians to stop buying data from these telecom companies, describing them as exploitative. The statement, signed by NLC President Joe Ajaero and General Secretary Emma Ugboaja, directed NLC State Councils and affiliated unions to mobilize and educate the public about their protest.